Wednesday, November 18, 2015

We
all ought to take some time to consider what the world in which we
live will look like in 2050 and beyond. I know I try to, especially
since my kids, grandkids, and maybe some great grandkids will not
only be around then - but will be around well into the 22nd
century.

The
following is an extensive brainstorming list of new technologies,
needs, processes, projections, and predictions about the field of
Education & Training come the year 2050. You might find it
interesting and may want to add some thoughts of your own.

The
list of expected changes below was extracted from numerous recent
interviews, articles, reports, and studies by various groups around
the world focused not only on the education and training industry,
but on the future of society in America and around the world.

So
here goes! Expect some of the following technologies, processes,
scenarios, and predictions to become the reality your kids and their
families will be dealing with in the coming decades.

Technologies

Technology
will have a tremendous impact on the future of Education &
Training. However it will take a decades to more fully develop, test,
evaluate, and integrate the many new technologies into the field of
Education & Training. Right now we are just at the beginning of
major changes. Think about the following technologies and the impact
they will have on educational institutions, educators, students,
publishing houses, governments, ...

Televideo

Mobile
technology

Wearable
systems

Implantable
systems

Brain
Interface Technologies

Social
Media & eLearning

Virtual
Reality

Virtual
Classrooms

Augmented
reality

Artificial
intelligence

Robotics

Telepathy

Language
Translation Technology

Multimedia
educational materials

Massive
Open Online Courses (MOOC)

Learning
Companion (AI device)

Free
& Open Source Software

Free
& Open Access Textbooks

As
these new technologies evolve and are woven into the field of
Education & Training, what will the impact be on educational
institutions, educators, trainers, administrative staff, support
staff and more?

Teachers
will become experts in new technologies and how to best use them in
different settings.

The
role of teachers will shift towards becoming education coaches,
mentors, career counselors...

Global
education and training institutions will serve students around the
world.

Human
illiteracy will be largely eliminated around the world by 2050.

Intelligent
classrooms will largely occur in virtual space.

Home
schooling and distance learning solutions will dominate the
landscape.

Most 'brick and mortar' campuses will be local commuter
campuses allowing for face-to-face learning opportunities when
needed.

Free
and 'open source' education software and tools will be available to
all.

Free
and 'open access' to most of the world's knowledge and information
will be available to everyone.

Use
of 'open access' textbooks and journals will dramatically lower the
cost of education.

Accelerated
learning programs will let motivated students complete their
education at a pace best suited to their capabilities and needs.

Higher
education will drastically rethink their curriculum, focusing more
on critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills than
a specific concentration.

All
education programs will include research activities that take
advantage of 'open data' resources.

Ongoing,
lifelong vocational training will be made available to those in the
country's workforce.

Teacher
compensation will change as
the importance of their role, level of expertise,
and range of skills increase.

Individuals
will receive credit for
life experience andreceive certificates of
expertise in lieu of college degrees.

Institutions
will be forced to collect and share data on quality of courses,
course completion rates, costs, student hiring...

Governments
will subsidize and/or provide free education for all citizens,
including college courses.

Student loans and debt
will become a thing of the past.

In
addition to going global, by 2050 interplanetary
education programs
may begin to emerge as colonies begin to be established on the moon
and Mars.

Local
commuter campuses will provide students with access to sophisticated
hi-tech learning environments when needed.

What
else do you think will happen by 2050? What else should
be added to the list of brainstorming ideas, projections, and
predictions about changes in the field of Education &
Training across the US and around the world?